Part 2

"Uh, yes... just some bad memories," Rory replied trying to give her new roommate a reassuring smile, she of course failed.

"Not being able to let go of an old girlfriend?" Eli asked with a gentle voice filled with sympathy.

Rory blinked at him with surprised eyes. "G-girlfriend?" she replied, she had not been prepared that people would realize that she was in love with another girl.

"Uh, she's not?"

Jessie rolled her eyes at her brother and then cut in before either Rory or Eli could say anything, "Once again I apologize for my brother's complete lack of tact. Ever since I outed myself to my family he's believing everyone who got anything remotely suspiciously 'gay', 'lesbian' or whatever, is gay."

Rory had to smile at the other girl's blasé ruefulness, she then turned her gaze at Eli and gave him an innocent smile while she said, "Really?" it was only ruined bye the wicked gleam in her eyes.

Eli blushed and muttered some incoherent apology before quickly leaving to retrieve the rest of Jessie's things.

Grinning at each other over Eli's embarrassment Jessie asked, "So what are you going to study?"

"Well I haven't really decided yet, but I'll begin with English lit. and will probably continue into journalism."

"Oh," Jessie said slightly disappointed, "I'll be taking pre-med courses."

"Cool, then I guess you'll give me discounts whenever I need a doctor?" Rory asked with a teasing smile.

"Well if you want to go to a children's doctor," Jessie replied her voice just as flirty as Rory's.

"I wouldn't mind at all," Rory replied with a confident smile.

Their banter was cut off when Eli returned with some more boxes.

"Uhh, where do you want these sis?" he asked with a slightly strained voice, his posture strained from the weight.

"Over there please," Jessie answered as she pointed at a spot close to the bookshelf.

When Eli had put down the box at the place Jesse had pointed she asked, "That was the last one right?"

Eli nodded in reply, "Yeah, will you need anything else before I head back to the motel?"

Jessie shook her head negatively, "No, I don't think there is anything I want."

After Jessie's answer Eli walked over to his sister and gave her a big bear hug. "Bye sis, promise me you'll have a good time here."

Jessie returned the hug and replied smiling gently, "I promise."

Rory watched the display in silence and felt a tinge of longing for her mother to be there to do the same thing, unfortunately her mother's car had broken down just a couple of minutes out of Hartford and with the grandparents not at home Lorelai had been forced to wait for a hauler to haul the jeep away, effectively preventing her from helping her daughter with the move.

Eli looked at his watch and said after the hug had ended, "Wow, the time is quite late, I have to go now if I want to get up in time for the flight home."

"I'll follow you to the car," Jessie said and grabbed her coat, she was not willing to take farewell of her brother just yet.

"See you later then," Rory said and waved the two siblings off.

They returned the wave and Eli returned a, "Bye, nice to meet you," before they disappeared into the corridor.

* * * * *

"Hello?"

<Hello?>

"Hi Katie, it's Jessie!"

<AHH! JESSIE!!!>

Jessie recoiled from the speaker as the girl on the other end screamed into it. "Not so loud please!" she complained loudly.

<Sorry, just so glad to hear from you! Have you moved in to your dorm yet?> Kate replied with an eager but apologetic voice.

"Yeah, I've moved into my dorm, I'm sharing it with a cute girl named Rory."

<Is she....> Katie's asked and Jessie could hear the slight tremble in the other girl's voice.

Jessie made a shrug even though Katie would not be able to see it and then replied, "I don't know, she seems like one of us but you know my radar is hopelessly faulty."

<Don't you mean ignorant?> Katie asked with laughter in her voice.

"Am not!" Jessie replied with an indignant voice although there was a smile on her lips.

<You totally missed out on me, so you are ignorant.> Katie insisted and Jessie could practically see the smirk on her best friend's face.

"Whatever," Jessie replied with a carefree voice and then continued, "I just wanted to give you a call, I miss you."

<I miss you too.>

"You've had any classes yet?"

<No, it'll all start tomorrow.>

Both girls quieted down and then the pay phone Jessie was calling from beeped, signaling that the money was running out. "Oh! Gotta go, no more phone money."

<Take care!> Katie called back through the speaker of the phone.

"You too!" Jessie replied with a happy voice,

* * * * *

Rory looked up as the dorm-room door opened and Jessie entered. "That was a long good bye," she commented good-humoredly a small smile on her lips.

Jessie looked up at Rory and grinned back. "Oh, I stopped by the phone and called a friend," she explained and made a dismissing gesture with her right hand.

"Girlfriend?" Rory asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Ex," Jessie answered quickly, almost as if she wanted to make it clear she was single.

"Still friends after breakup?"

"Well we decided that distance relationships don't work and it would be better to simply be friends instead."

"In other words when either of you gets a new girlfriend the other will be sick of jealousy?" Rory teased lightly.

Jessie smiled back, "Probably."

"Well next time if you promise not to talk to long I'll lend you my cell."

"Thanks, you need any help with your stuff?" Jessie replied with an appreciative look.

"Sure, which shelves do you want?" Rory answered and nodded towards the bookshelf they shared.

Since you're taller than me you can have the upper ones," Jessie said after thinking about it for a moment.

Rory laughed lightly and said, "Sure, they'll gather less dust then."

With that they both began to put up their respective books on the shelves, chit chatting away about different topics enjoying each other's company.

To be continued...